Kennedy Family Reunites for Massive Fourth of July Bash, but Not Everyone Showed Up

The political dynasty hosted their annual summer kickoff at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port

NEED TO KNOW

• Kerry Kennedy shared a glimpse of the family’s annual Fourth of July celebration at their seaside compound in Massachusetts
• The 2026 gathering celebrated both Independence Day and the birthdays of her siblings Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Christopher G. Kennedy
• Notable absences included RFK Jr., Caroline Kennedy and Jack Schlossberg, who recently ran for Congress

Kerry Kennedy offered a peek into the Kennedy family’s annual Fourth of July reunion in Hyannis Port, Mass., with a new post on Instagram that shows the massive group. 

Among the crowd were prominent faces as well as members of the dynasty’s next generation, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s son Conor Kennedy, who stood beside his fiancée Giulia Be, and newlyweds Edward “Teddy” Kennedy III and Rose Esselstyn.

The group wasn’t just celebrating America, though. July 4 is also the birthday of sibling duo Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Christopher G. Kennedy.

Kathleen, 75, and Christopher, 63, are the children of RFK Sr. and Ethel Kennedy, and the siblings of both RFK Jr. and Kerry. Kerry’s Instagram video features the group sharing birthday wishes to the two, thanking Christopher’s wife, Sheila Sinclair Kennedy, and declaring their love for America. 

This July get together is a tradition for the famous family. The multigenerational group gathers every year at their historic seaside compound. The past two summers have been missing the Hyannis Port matriarch, Ethel Kennedy, who died in 2024. It has been reported that Ethel used to lead the town’s Independence Day parade from a patriotically decorated golf cart.

While the annual Fourth of July gathering is a cherished tradition for much of the clan, not every family member makes the trip to the Massachusetts compound.

Noticeably absent from the photo this year were Caroline Kennedy — daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy Onassis — and her surviving children, Rose and Jack Schlossberg. Jack, a 33-year-old political newcomer, has been making headlines of his own, recently concluding his first congressional campaign as a Democrat, in which he unsuccessfully sought an open House seat in Manhattan.

Also apparently missing from the photo were Katherine Schwarzenegger and her actor husband, Chris Pratt. Katherine’s parents, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver — the daughter of Eunice Kennedy — were married for more than 20 years, making JFK her great uncle.

And though some of RFK Jr.’s immediate family appeared in the video, the U.S. health secretary himself was not spotted at the gathering. Since defying his family’s political legacy and aligning with Trump’s MAGA movement, RFK Jr. has been publicly outcast by many of his loved ones.

Jack and Caroline have been among RFK Jr.’s sharpest critics at the risk of burning bridges with certain relatives, but so have some of his own siblings, who’ve released joint statements denouncing his actions. RFK Jr.’s younger sister Kerry, in particular, has spent her career carrying on their father’s legacy as the head of the RFK Human Rights organization, often forcing her to advocate against her brother’s policy agendas. 

Despite simmering political tensions within the family, Kerry marked the holiday with a message of unity in her celebratory post, captioning it, ‘‘From our family to yours ❤️.”

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